Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of it's characters.

Chapter Two: Date Night

The library had been closed for sometime in Storybrooke, but just recently reopened when Belle became the new caretaker. This evening Belle was busily shelving books when she looked up at the clock, which read 5:45. Fifteen minutes till the library closed. Belle grinned from ear to ear. She was very happy, because tonight she had a date with her one true love: Rumpelstiltskin, or as he was called here, Mr. Gold. Things had been bumpy in their relationship lately, she had even worried it may end, but when Rum was finally honest with her, she felt their relationship starting to grow and so was her love. They had been on a few small dates since their argument over Rumple's honesty. Their first one was at Granny's diner so she could try a hamburger for the first time. She was very excited about their date tonight because Rumple had a special surprise for her, and the suspense was killing her.

Tick…tock…10 minutes till closing time. She walked around to see if there was anyone left in the library. She noticed a man with jet-black hair reading a book in the back corner. "Sir, we will be closing in a few minutes. Do you need to check that out?" questioned Belle.

The man glanced up at her for a second, and then shut the book. "Sure, but I need to sign up for a library card."

"Ok. Just fill this out and you can borrow it for up to two weeks." Belle said as she handed him some paperwork.

The man finished filling out the paperwork and handed it and the book to Belle.

"Oh Moby Dick! This is a great story, I've read it many times!" Belle said.

"Yes, a tale about a sailor and his quest for revenge on the beast who took his leg. I would love to find out how it ends," the man stated with a smirk.

Belle handed him the book, "Well I hope you enjoy it! It will be due back two weeks from today."

"Oh I most definitely will…" he said as he walked out the door.

The clock now read exactly six, so Belle locked the door behind him. She had thirty minutes to get ready before Rumple would be there to pick her up. She ran upstairs to her apartment to get ready. She chose to wear a long yellow evening gown Rum had given her a few days before. He told her she should dress up. 'What is he planning?' she wondered. She was so giddy with excitement. She finished getting ready, and ran down stairs to meet her "prince." She closed and locked the library door behind her; when she turned around, Rumple was standing there. He stood there with his cane in his right hand and his left behind his back. He usually wore a dark black suit, but tonight it was more bluish with a yellow tie and handkerchief that seemed to match her dress. "How did you know I would be wearing yellow?" Belle asked.

"Just a guess," stated Rumpelstiltskin as he revealed a single red rose.

Belle smiled and took the rose. "I love it, thank you." And, she really did. It reminded her of when they started falling in love back when they lived in the Dark Castle.

"Your carriage awaits my love." Rum said as he opened the passenger side door to his car.

Belle got in. She hadn't ridden a car too much, and was still fascinated with something that could get you from one place to another in no time. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see."

At first they went to Granny's to have a nice dinner on the outdoor patio. There they shared the highlights of their day. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin still received questioning or strange glances when they were in public together because he was the feared and disliked man in town. However, Belle did not care what other people thought. It was her choice to be with whom she wanted. She knew that he was just broken and misunderstood. Under that dark exterior people saw as the "beast," there was a gentle soul.

After dinner, Rumple drove Belle up to a very large building that was unfamiliar to her. It was very beautiful, with large columns at the entrance and gargoyles on top with the moon and stars shining down to accent them perfectly. "What is this place?" she questioned.

Rum grinned at her, got out of the car, and helped her out of the passenger side, "Come with me."

Belle took his arm and let him escort her into the lobby. She looked around. The decorations matched the outside of the building. He led her up some stairs and down a long hallway until they came to two very large exquisite double doors. "Close your eyes," said Rum.

Belle gave him a "what are you up to look," but did what he said. She could hear him opening the doors, felt him grab her hand, and guide her forward a few feet.

"Ok now open them!"

Belle opened her eyes and was blown away. They stood alone in a very large ballroom. It was surrounded with beautiful stained glass windows, and a ceiling as tall as the sky. The stars and the moon were painted all across the top. There was an enormous glass chandelier in the middle of the room, which added to the ambience and lit the room just perfectly. Across the way she could see an exit to a balcony. "Wow this is amazing," she gawked.

Music began to play that filled the entire room. Rum let go of her hand, stepped in front of her, and took a small bow, "May I have this dance?"

Belle smiled, "Of course," she said and curtsied.

Rum leaned his cane up against the wall, took her waist with one hand, and her hand with the other. "Are you sure you will be ok?" Belle said worried about Rum's bad knee.

"As long as you are here I will be perfectly fine." They begun to waltz around the ballroom as the tune to Tale as Old as Time played. As they danced, Rum looked down into Belle's eyes, "I love you Belle, and I never want to lose you."

Belle looked back up into his dark brown eyes, so much mystery, so much pain and hurt hidden in there. "I love you too."

As the end of the song was nearing, the couple slowed. Rumple pushed a piece of hair behind Belle's ear and leaned in for a kiss. Belle sunk right into a kiss that seemed to last forever. The song ended and so did the kiss. "I uh…need to take a rest," stated Rum indicating his leg was bothering him. He motioned toward the balcony.

Belle helped him outside, and they took a seat. Belle looked up at the clear night sky. The stars sparkled beautifully, and the moon was bright and large. Rum watched her for a moment, then took her hand in his and caressed the side of her face. "Belle…are you happy?"

"Yes I am…" she trailed off.

"What is it Belle?"

"Well, I love how you have opened up and trusted me with your heart, but I feel like you haven't shared much since you told me about your son. All I want is to know you better."

"What else would you like to know?"

Belle thought for a second, then something came to mind. She was a bit hesitant at first because she knew asking about Rumpelstiltskin's past brought out that look in his eyes which reflected the heartbreak he had experienced. She still wanted to know because she never wanted to be the cause of his pain, "Tell me about your wife, what happened to her?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked down at the floor for a minute, and sadness washed over his face. He knew he could never tell her the whole truth. As much as she knew now, and still didn't think of him as a monster, if she found out what he did to his first wife she would never want to see him again. "Her name was Milah. She wasn't happy with the life we had, and eventually left me for a man who could give her what she wanted. I knew she wasn't happy with me, but I never could understand why she would leave Bae. How could a mother abandon her child? Eventually, I saw her again many years later before she died. She told me she never loved me, and that clouded her judgment."

Tears formed in Belle's eyes as she examined his face. 'No wonder he feels no one could ever love him, he's never truly known love, aside from his lost son,' she thought. Belle touched his chin and moved his face close to hers and looked into his eyes, "I'm sorry that happened to you, but I promise I really do love you, and I will help you find your son."

A tiny smile crossed Rumpelstiltkin's face, "I don't deserve you Belle. You are too kind to me."